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Often, multiple forms of therapy are used to remove mesothelioma cancer cells, reduce their growth and spread, or help the body fight off the cells directly.
For example, radiation treatment is almost always coupled with chemotherapy, surgery, or immunotherapy.[19] Radiation therapy may be used before, during, or after any of these treatment options. Before surgery, radiation can be used to shrink the size of cancer cells and slow their growth. Afterwards, it can be used to eliminate smaller clusters of cancer cells that surgeons could not see or could not safely extract.
In the case of malignant pleural mesothelioma, several studies have suggested that multimodal treatment provides the best range of options when each therapy is individualized according to the patient’s tumor growth, health status, and personal preferences.[20] At the same time, doctors disagree with one another on the optimal application of each form of therapy to achieve a positive outcome.
Some patient cases elect to undergo radical forms of common therapies for mesothelioma, including radical resectioning of the lung in addition to radiation, PDT, and/or chemotherapy treatment.[21] Outcomes for these trials have varied, with some documenting greater harm to patients and a lack of evidence as to the strategy’s efficacy.[22]
[19] https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/radiation-therapy
[20] http://www.annalscts.com/article/view/1055/1584
[21] https://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/abs/10.2217/lmt.15.16?journalCode=lmt
[22] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29309720
